The Hunting Games
by inspiredbytales
Summary: The Hunger Games AU Dean loves his brother Sam dearly, he would kill and die for him. When Sam's name is called during the reaping, Dean volunteers as tribute. He meets his mentor, Bobby Singer and his fellow tribute from District 12... Castiel. Together they will do their best to ensure their survival in the brutal Hunger Games.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: I'm having to change some details slightly, so it will go along with the story better. The story will begin very closely based on the book. Most things will be word for word, but as I get along the story will eventually and hopefully take a new route.__._

_Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, places, or quotes. These belong to Eric Kripke and Suzanne Collins._

When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Sam's warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress. He must have had bad dreams and went to go read. Of course he did. This is the day of the reaping.

I prop myself up on one elbow. There's enough light in the bedroom to see him. Not enough to read though. I see Sam. He's tan with hair a little longer than all the other boys. He's growing too.

I swing myself out of bed and get dressed. Sam notices that I'm awake but doesn't say anything. I put on a pair of tattered jeans, old worn out shoes, and a shirt. I slide on a jacket, and grab my hunting bag.

The amulet Sam gave me for Christmas one year got tangled on itself, and I fumble to fix it.

"I'll be back. Just going to go hunting, Sammy. I'll be back before the reaping." I tell him.

"Okay. Don't call me Sammy." He responds.

"Get some better light for reading, will you?"

I leave too soon to hear a response.

Our part of District 12, nicknamed the Seam, is usually crawling with coal miners heading out to the morning shift at this hour. Men and women with hunched shoulders, swollen knuckles, many who have long since stopped trying to scrub the coal dust out of their broken nails, and the lines of their sunken faces. But today the black cinder streets are empty. Shutters on the squat gray houses have been closed. The reaping isn't until two. May as well sleep in. If you can.

Our house is almost at the edge of the Seam. I only have to pass a few grates to reach the scruffy field called the Meadow. Separating the Meadow from the woods, in fact enclosing all of District 12, is a high chain-link fence topped with barbed-wire loops. In theory, it's supposed to be electrified twenty-four hours a day as a deterrent to the predators that live in the woods – packs of wild dogs, lone cougars, bears, some say to have claimed to see strange creatures – these all used to threaten our streets. But since we're lucky to get two or three hours of electricity in the evenings, it's usually safe to touch. Even so, I always take a moment to listen carefully for the hum that means the fence is live. Better safe than sorry. Right now, it's silent as a stone. Concealed by a clump of bushes, I flatten out on my belly and slide under a two-foot stretch that's been lose for as far as I can remember.

As soon as I'm in the trees, I retrieve a shotgun and a knife from my dad's stash of weapons. Electrified or not, the fence has been successful at keeping the flesh-eaters out of District 12. Inside the woods they roam freely, and there are other concerns such as venomous snakes, rabid animals, and you can get lost easily. There is always food though, but you have to know where to find it.

My dad – John Winchester - taught me to shoot. He's been crazy ever since our mother died in a freak accident. He wants to find what killed her. He started taking Sam and I with him, on his trips. Sam absolutely hated it. We saw a few unusual things, things I never forget. He taught us about these things, these demons. How to exorcise them, and get this, from people. Other things, things no sixteen-year-old, much less a twelve-year-old should see. I still have nightmares about them. The details are vague, but I remember the horrifying, gruesome parts. His search for mom's alleged killer has left him missing for the last couple of days.

Even though trespassing in the woods is illegal, and poaching carries the severest of penalties, more people would risk it if they had weapons. Most aren't even brave enough to venture out with a knife. My dad's guns are a rarity. Only peacekeepers have real guns, but my dad was able to attain a variety of weapons.

"For hunting things." He told me.

If I was caught with any of these weapons I would probably be "publicly executed" by the Peacekeepers. Guns are dangerous things. Most of the Peacekeepers turn a blind eye to the very few of us who hunt. They're as hungry for fresh meat as anybody is. In fact they are our best costumers.

"District Twelve. Where you can starve to death in safety," I mutter.

I glance around quickly, hoping nobody heard me. Even though I was in the middle of nowhere, I worried someone would overhear me.

I used to scare my dad with the things I would blurt about District 12, the government. We live in the country Panem, and the government are in some far-off city called the Capitol. My dad told me this would get me, possibly the entire family into lots of trouble. So I do my best to hold my tongue. Acts of rebellion are often conceived into my mind, but I do my best to shake them off.

In the woods waits the one of the only people I can trust. It took a while to trust him, despite him saving my life. Benny. He has short brown hair, and a beard. He has some sort of accent, I just can't figure it out. All the girls at school rave on about it though. I met him while trapped somewhere. I don't remember much just that he got me out. There's something a little odd about him, but I'm not sure what. I climb up to greet Benny.

"Hello Dean," Benny says, "look what I got."

He holds out his hand. Placed on his palm is a loaf of bread. It's real bakery bread, not the flat, dense loaves we try to make from our grain rations.

"No way!" I exclaim.

"It only cost me a squirrel. I think the old man was feeling a little sentimental this morning. Even wished me luck," says Benny, as we lay our weapons down and sit down by some bushes.

I pulled out a small wedge of cheese Sam had given to me earlier.

His facial expression brightened at the treat.

"Thank you Sam! We'll even have a real feast."

Suddenly he fell into a capital accent as he mimics Charlie Bradbury, the women who comes from the Capitol once a year to read out the names at the reaping.

"I almost forgot! Happy Hunger Games!" He plucks a berry from one of the bushes around us.

"And may the odds-" He tosses a berry in a high arc toward me.

I catch it in my mouth and break the skin open with my teeth. The sweet tartness explodes across my tongue.

"-be ever in your favor!" I finish with equal verve. It is either joke about it or be scared about it.

I take the bread and begin slicing it with my knife. I then spread the bread with soft cheese. Benny begins stripping the bushes of their berries. We settle back in and watch the valley, which is teeming with summer life, greens to gather, roots to dig, fish iridescent in the sunlight. This day is beautiful.

"We could do it, ya know," Benny mutters quietly.

"What?" I ask.

"Leave the district. Run off. Live in the woods. You and I, we could make it."

I don't know how to respond. This is what I've dreamed of doing all this time. But I can't.

"If we didn't have so many siblings." I respond.

Benny has two little brothers and a sister. I have Sam, who I would kill and die for. Benny's parents are both dead and he's looking out for them. My dad is constantly gone, so I must look out for Sam.

"I'm never going to have kids." I say.

Benny just nods his head in agreement.

The conversation is wrong. Leave? How could I leave Sam, who is the only person in the world I'm certain I love? Benny is devoted to his siblings.

Trying to change the subject I ask, "What do you want to do?" We have the options of hunting, fishing, and gathering herbs.

"Let's fish." He says. "I think we can… leave our poles and gather in the woods. Get something nice. For tonight."

We got a lot. The predators ignore us. By late morning we have a dozen fish, and a bag of greens.

On the way home, we swing by the Hob, the black market that operates in an old abandoned warehouse. Most businesses are closed on reaping day, but not the Hob. We easily trade six of the fish for good bread, and the other two for salt that we would use to cook. We have a lot of salt at home, but our dad told us not to touch it. He said it was for hunting.

After we are done trading, Benny and I split our spoils, leaving me with two fish, a couple of loaves of good bread, greens, a quart of strawberries, salt, and even a bit of money.

"See you in the square," I say

"Wear something pretty," he teases.

"Jackass," I reply.

He just smirks and walks off.

At home I see Sam has already gotten ready. He wears his nicest shirt and pants. The pants are too short, and the shirt is huge on him.

"I got the tub full of warm water, if you want to take a bath." Sam told me.

"Oh," I say surprised. "Thanks, man."

I do my best to scrub the dirt and sweat off and wash my short hair. I dry with a towel and get dressed with my nicest clothes.

The reaping terrifies me. I protect Sam in every way I can, even from our dad. But I'm powerless against the reaping.

"Let's eat," I say trying to distract myself. Sam cooks the fish and greens into a stew. I get some water for us to drink. "We can save the bread for dinner, okay?"

"Sure. It'll be our special treat."

We eat in silence. Although we can both cook, Sam cooks because he is better. We eat every bite of the stew before leaving.

At one o'clock, we head for the square.

"Will dad be imprisoned?" Sam asks me.

Attendance is mandatory for everyone, unless you are deathly ill. The Peacekeepers go around making sure everyone is at the square.

"Shouldn't be," I replied. "He's on a hunting trip. The mayor lets him slide. He solved one of the mayor's problems before."

"He has?" Sam asks.

"Sure thing." I reply.

The rest of the walk to the square is silent. Although the buildings are decorated by bright banners, there's an air of grimness. I see camera crews, perched on the rooftops like buzzards. They only add to the effect.

People file in and silently sign in. _The reaping is a good opportunity for the Capitol to keep tabs on the population as well, _I think to myself. Twelve through eighteen year olds are herded into roped areas marked off by ages, the oldest in the front, and the young ones, like Sam, toward the back. Family members line up around the perimeter.

The space gradually gets tighter as more people come. I find myself in a clump of sixteen's from the Seam. I look ahead at the temporary stage set up before the Justice Building. It holds a podium and three chairs, and a large glass ball with all the names. Two names would be drawn from it. Two of the three chairs fill with the Mayor and Charlie Bradbury. Her face is completely white, and her blond hair is tinted with pink. All of it rests above her head. I have no idea how she does that or why it is necessary to wear a spring green suit.

When the clock eventually strikes two, the mayor goes up to the podium and reads this boring story told every year. It tells of the history of Panem. I don't really pay attention, so I don't catch much. I wait in anticipation for the drawings. When he says "Hunger Games," my head snaps up.

"In punishment for the uprising, each of the twelve districts must offer two children, called tributes, to take part. They will fight in an arena with the other tributes to the death. The last tribute left standing wins. It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks."

He reads the list of victors from district twelve. Which is two in seventy-four years. Only one is still alive. His name is Bobby Singer, and he is paralyzed. He is confined to a wheel chair. When they mention his name, he rolls up. He is given a small polite applause. The mayor introduces Charlie Bradbury.

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

She talks about how happy she is to be here. I groan loudly, for all she's trying to do is get promoted to a better district. A few people look at me. I hear snickering in front, and it's obviously from Benny.

"It's time for the drawings!" Charlie says excitedly.

She reaches in, and digs her hand deep down. The crowd is absolutely silent. I feel so nervous as she opens the piece of paper and reads the name aloud. It's not me.

It's Sammy.

_AN: I spent a lot of time deciding who would be Gale and Effie. I'm sorry if I disappointed any of you based on my "casting". I went through lots of different Effie's. For those of you who don't know or remember who Benny is he is the vampire who rescued Dean from the purgatory. Sorry for leaving out some stuff such as Madge. Thank you so much for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thank you to everyone who has taken time to read the story, favorite/follow, and review. You guys mean so much to me!_

_Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, places, or quotes. These belong to Eric Kripke and Suzanne Collins._

There had to be some mistake. This couldn't be happening. Not to Sam. My Sammy. My little brother. Sam was just one piece of paper, one damn piece of paper in thousands. Thousands.

I hear the crowd murmuring unhappily as they always do when a twelve-year-old is selected. Nobody thinks it's fair. I turn and see Sam shuffling toward the stage in small steps. His face is pale and he is staring straight ahead. I see the fear in his eyes as he passes me, as well as the tears that are threatening to fall down his face. After a few more seconds of shock something finally snaps in me.

"Sam!" I call out. "Sammy!"

I don't have to shove through the crowd. The other kids around me make way as I barrel through. I reach him before he climbs the stairs. I push him behind me, and scream, "I volunteer!"

I see puzzled looks come from the audience as I glance around wildly. I say again, "I volunteer as tribute!"

There is some confusion on the stage. The people there are talking quickly in hushed voices. There hasn't been a volunteer in decades, so protocol has become a little rusty. The rule is that once a tribute's name has been selected and read, then someone is able to volunteer. Some districts in which winning the reaping is a great honor, the volunteer process is a little more complicated. Here in District 12, where _tribute_ is pretty much a synonym for _corpse_, there are almost no volunteers.

"Lovely," says Charlie Bradbury. She glances at the other officials on the stage and they shrug their shoulders. She is unsure of what to do now, and I don't blame her.

"Alright then," she begins. "Let him come forward."

Sam begins screaming hysterically behind me. He wraps his arms around me and sobs. "No! Dean! You can't go!"

"Sam, let go," I whisper bitterly. I do my very best not to cry. They will be televising the reaping tonight, and everyone will see my tears. I will be marked as an easy target. A weakling. I will not let that happen. "Let go!" I snap a little more harshly.

I feel someone pulling Sam off. I turn and see Benny pulling Sam off me. He's struggling against him, but he is no match for a strong eighteen year old. He nods at me, and I can't help but to see the sadness in his eyes. I take a deep breath and climb up the steps.

"Bravo!" Charlie Bradbury exclaims. "That's the spirit of the Games!" She smiles crazily at me, and I'm a little disturbed.

"What is your name?" She asks.

"Dean Winchester." I reply as steadily as I can.

"I bet my buttons that was your brother. Don't want her to steal all the glory do we? Come on, everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!"

Not a single person claps. All there is is silence. This says we don't agree. All of this is wrong. Something unexpected happens. I never thought District 12 as a place that cares about me, but now it seems that I have become something precious since I took Sam's spot. At first one person does it, and then another, and another until almost everyone in the crowd touches the three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and holds it out to me. It is an old and rarely used gesture, seen sometimes at funerals. It means thanks, admiration, and good-bye to someone you love.

Bobby Singer rolls up to me and nods approvingly. "I like him. He'll do good." And as soon as he came he was gone.

"What a great day!" Charlie Bradbury exclaims. "How very exciting! There is more excitement yet to come though, we have to choose our other tribute!"

The tension dies down and she walks up to the glass ball filled with names and grabs the first slip she comes across. I can't even pray it won't be Benny before she walks back to the podium and reads the name. "Castiel."

Castiel!

_Damn it,_ I think. I recognize the name, although I've never really spoken to him. Castiel.

I watch him as he walks up to the stage. Medium height, with brown hair. He wears a trench coat. He walks with a perfect poker face. I can't read his expression at all. He climbs steadily to the stage and takes his place.

Charlie Bradbury asks for volunteers, but nobody steps up. I don't know if Castiel had any siblings, but if he did they probably wouldn't volunteer. I did an extraordinary thing.

The mayor begins to read the long, boring Treaty of Treason as he does every year. It is required, and I'm not listening to a single word he says.

Of all the other people that could have been chosen, it had to be him. _Why him? _I wonder. Castiel and I aren't friends. I don't know him. He doesn't know me. Our only real interaction happened years ago.

I fell into a deep river. I was alone, and I'm not sure how it even happened. I could swim, but the current was going too fast for me to do anything. I went under, and began drowning. I desperately gasped for air, but the only thing there was water. I frantically swam towards the surface, but I couldn't get my head above the water. I did manage to get my hand above the water, I thought it was hopeless, that nobody was going to see, but someone did. Castiel had grabbed me, and began pulling me from the water. His hand then gripped my shoulder tight and pulled me from the water. On the shore I gulped for air. Before I could thank him though, he was gone.

He saved my life, as well as Sammy's. If I had died – which I would of – he would have had nobody to look out for him, until my dad got back. My dad could be gone for weeks, and Sam and my dad don't get along too well. Sam would have starved, without me providing him food. I will be forever grateful to Castiel for saving my life.

The next day, I passed Castiel at school. He was alone, and he didn't acknowledge me in any way. He didn't even look at me. Yet as Sam and I walked home, I caught him staring at me. He didn't even try to hide the fact that he was staring, and in fact it was a little obvious. I stared back, then dropped my head, embarrassed. I had no idea what I should think.

Still to this day, I can never shake our connection. More than once, I've turned in the hallway at school and see him staring at me. I quickly look away, but I can feel his eyes on me. He saved my life. I feel like I owe him, and I absolutely hate owing people. I should have thanked him, and now I might end up having to kill him in the arena. How am I supposed to work a thank-you in there? For some reason it wouldn't seem sincere if I'm trying to slit his throat.

The mayor eventually finishes the Treaty of Treason and motions for Castiel and me to shake hands. He awkwardly holds out his hand, and I take it. His grip is very firm. We awkwardly shake. I look at Castiel, and he is staring at me intently.

_Oh well, _I think, _There will be twenty-four of us. Odds are someone else will kill him before I do._

Of course, odds have not been very dependable of late.

_A/N: Sorry about the short chapter, and thank you for reading!_


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: _Thank you to everyone who has taken time to read the story, favorite/follow, and review. You guys mean so much to me! I'm so sorry for not updating for a while._

_Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, places, or quotes. These belong to Eric Kripke and Suzanne Collins._

The moment the anthem ends, we are taken into custody. We aren't handcuffed or anything, but a group of Peacekeepers usher me into the Justice building. Maybe tributes escaped in the past. I've never heard of it happening though.

Once inside, I'm escorted into a room and left alone. It's the nicest place I've been in my life. The carpet is thick, there are nice chairs, and the couch is so soft. I don't sit down, but I rub my fingers over the couch's fabric repeatedly. It is sort of calming, and now I need to stay calm. I breathe in and out.

My first visitor is Sammy. He runs into my arms, and I pull him into a tight embrace. His eyes are puffy and red from crying. Once we break from our hug, I begin to tell him everything he needs to do now that I'm not there.

"Okay Sammy. Benny and I made an agreement a few years back that if this happened, we would help the tribute's family. Benny will be bringing the game and vegetables. He will not be expecting anything back, but you should thank him with some kind of trade. Like salt."

Sam's eyes widened. "But we're not supposed to use the salt!"

"Well this is an emergency, and salt is very expensive. Not too much though. A teaspoon or something. Dad also has some emergency money in case something like this happened. All you need to do is hold out until Dad gets back. You need to stay in school too. You don't want to be arrested by peacekeepers for not going to school, do ya?"

I'm not sure if they would arrest you, but nonetheless Sam shakes his head.

"You could win." Sam said.

I can't win. That's not going to happen. The competition is way too intense. Kids from wealthier districts, such as District 1, who have trained their entire lives for this. Boys twice my size and girls who can kill you with a knife 20 different ways. Winning is a big honor for them. There'll be people like me too. People who are oh-so-happy to be stuck in this situation.

"Maybe," I tell him.

"Dad taught you how to survive. You can use knives and guns."

"Keep your voice down," I whisper, "they could hear you. Remember weapons are illegal."

"Oh okay sorry." Sam whispers back.

"They don't have guns anyway."

"Well you're strong and brave. You can win." Sam tells me.

"Well if I did we'd be as rich as Bobby then!" I reply.

"I don't care if we're rich, Dean. All I want is for you to come home. You'll try, won't you? Actually try?"

"Yes Sammy, of course."

Then a Peacekeeper is at the door, and telling us our time is up. Sam and I hug another so hard it kinda hurts and I'm telling him, "I love you." Sammy says it back and the next thing I know is that he's gone. Just like that. That may be the last time I see him in person.

I sit down on the couch, and play with the amulet Sam gave me. It is gold and has a face on it. The face has two horns on it. It was originally intended for my Dad, but Sam gave it to me instead.

Benny walks in and he tries to smile, but ends up grimacing.

"Listen," he tells me. "You need to get a knife. It should be pretty easy. Get multiple knives if you can. You're dad taught you a lot, so use your knowledge."

"I hope there are knives." I tell him.

I remember one year where the only weapons were horrible spiked maces that the tributes had to bash each other with.

"Make stakes, any weapon you can make out of wood. Which you'll need a knife to do."

"I don't know if there will be wood. One year the arena was a desert with boulders and some bushes."

"Damn that's right. Wait - that year half of them died of cold. Watching the tributes freeze to death is _very_ entertaining. You could barely even see them 'cause it was night too. There should be wood. To make fires. And don't forget – the smoke from fires will notify every one of your location."

"Okay and yeah there's usually some," I acknowledged.

"Dean it's just hunting. Like we do. Except for you're not allowed to use any of your guns. I think you'll manage just fine though. You're the best hunter I know." Benny said.

"It's not just hunting!" I snap.

I see the look on Benny's face, and quickly apologize.

"It's not hunting," I say slightly more calmly. "They're armed. And they think."

"You think too. You know how to kill. You've had practice."

"Not killing people." I say.

"How different is it, really?" Benny asks grimly.

The terrible thing is that if I forget they're people, it wouldn't be any different at all.

The doors open, and the Peacekeeper is back too soon. Benny asks for more time, but the Peacekeeper is taking him away. I begin to panic.

"Don't let Sammy starve!" I yell.

"I won't! You know I won't!" Benny shouts back.

I am taken from the Justice Building to the train station. It is a short ride there in a car. I've never been in a car before. I usually just travel on foot.

At the train station there are lots of pesky cameras and reporters. I keep my face as expressionless as I can. I glance over at a television screen and am thankful that I look bored. I see Castiel, and his face is completely blank.

We have to stand a few minutes in the doorway of the train while the cameras take as many pictures as they can. Eventually we are allowed inside and the doors close behind us. The train begins to move instantaneously. I whisper, "thank God." Castiel perks up for a second when I say that, but then goes back to normal.

I marvel at the speed of the train. I've never been in a train before. This train isn't one of those trains that transport coal from our district; this train is one of the Capitol models that average about 250 miles per hour. The journey to the Capitol should take less than a day.

Somehow it comes back to coal at school. We have basic reading and math, but most of our education is coal-related. We also get a boring weekly lecture on the history of Panem. It's mostly just how we owe the Capitol for our rebellion.

As I walk through the tribute train, I notice that it is fancier than every room in the Justice Building combined. I go into the chamber I have been given and see that it has a bedroom, an area where we can get dressed, and a bathroom. With hot and cold water! We don't have hot water at home, unless we decide to boil it.

Eventually Charlie Bradbury comes and gets me for dinner. I follow her through the narrow, rocking corridor into a dining room with polished walls. There is a nice table with dishes that looked extremely easy to break. There is an empty chair next to Castiel, so I sit down.

"Where is Bobby?" Charlie Bradbury asks cheerfully.

"He is most likely running a little late," Castiel tells us. "The hallways are rather narrow."

I nod.

The supper comes in courses. First there is a green salad, and a thick carrot soup. Lamb chops and mashed potatoes come after that. We are served cheese and fruit, and then a chocolate cake.

"Save room, save room! There is more to come!" She constantly tells us.

I glance over at Castiel, and see that he is eating slowly and reserved. I, on the other hand am trying to shove as much of the delicious food I can without grossing Charlie out.

At the end of the meal, I regret having ate as much as I can. I'm trying to keep the food down, and I see Castiel is too. His face looks a little green.

We go to another compartment to watch the recap of the reapings. One by one we see the names called, and sometimes volunteers step forward. Most of the time there are none. I watch the faces of the tributes, my competition. Finally, they show District 12. I see Sam being called, and me frantically running up to volunteer. I can hear the desperation in my voice as I push Sam aside. I watch as Benny pulls him off of me and I climb up the steps to the stage. The commenters aren't sure of what to say about District 12's refusal to applause. One says District 12 has always been a little backwards, but the local customs are charming. I continue watching and hear Castiel's name being called. He silently takes his place and we shake hands. The anthem plays, and the program ends.

As soon as it's over, Bobby rolls up cursing about how narrow the hallways are.

_A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed!_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: _Thank you to everyone who has taken time to read the story, favorite/follow, and review. You guys mean so much to me! _

_Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, places, or quotes. These belong to Eric Kripke and Suzanne Collins._

"Would one of you boys be kind enough to roll me to the dining room?" Bobby asks, with an accent like Benny's.

"I will," Castiel says, as he walks to Bobby. He grabs the handles of the wheelchair and begins pushing.

"You could get one of the Capitol people to help you." I suggest.

Bobby just shakes his head as Castiel pushes him out the room.

I understand how Bobby might feel. I don't really like the Capitol people, and Bobby might not either. Or he could be doing his mentoring shit. I don't know. I'm also wondering why Castiel decided to volunteer so quickly. Maybe he's trying to be nice to me. I don't want him to be nice to me. People who are nice have their way of working their way inside me and rooting there, and I'm not allowing Castiel to do that. Not where we're going. I'm going to have to ignore him, and try to have as little as possible to do with him.

I go to my room, and change out of all my clothes. I climb into the bed, and attempt to sleep. Memories of teaching Sam how to survive flood my brain. I hope he remembers what I told him because he's going to need that advice now that I'm gone.

Whenever Dad was gone, Sam and I had it tough. We had to get our own food. We discovered in the meadow there are all sorts of plants that can be harvested. Dandelions, pokeweed, wild onions, and pines. Every day after school, I would go down to the meadow, sometimes accompanied by Sam, and pick the edible plants. Dad always warned us that some were very toxic, and we could die from eating them. Eventually I worked up the courage to go under the fence and into the woods.

At first I retrieved a gun from Dad's hidden stash. I probably didn't go more than 20 yards that first day. I waited for hours for any game. Then I made my first kill. It was a rabbit. I'd shot a few rabbits, with Dad's help, guiding my arm, keeping the gun steady. Warning me about the recoil. This rabbit I had shot all on my own though.

This was the first time we had meat in a _long_ time. I skinned it, and Sam and I cooked it into a stew with some of the greens we had previously gathered.

Each day after that, I went farther and farther into the woods. I stole eggs from nests, and caught fish in nets, and shot the occasional squirrel or rabbit. I gathered other greens. I kept us alive. I kept us alive. I kept us…

XXX

Light streams through the window and hits me in the face, waking me up. I sit up groggily, and rub my eyes. I pick up my clothes off the floor, and put them on. I sit on my bed, still trying to wake up. I hear a series of taps, and Charlie calling out, "Wake up! Today is going to be a big day!" I try to imagine what could be going on in that woman's head. What thoughts fill her head? What dreams come to her at night? I have no idea.

I leave my room and walk into the dining cart, and look outside, through a window. We can't be too far from the Capitol now.

Charlie hands me a cup of black coffee. She's muttering things that I can't comprehend.

"Sit down!" Bobby says. He's more cheerful than yesterday, and that's a good sign.

As soon as I sit down, an enormous platter of food is set down. Eggs, ham, piles of fried potatoes. Lots of fruit. Other foods I don't know about. There is a glass of orange substance in a glass, and a mug filled with brown liquid, as well as the coffee Charlie gave me.

"It is called hot chocolate," Castiel informs me, referring to the brown liquid.

I take a sip of the drink, and the creamy, rich liquid runs through me. I ignore the rest of the meal, and finish the drink. Then I stuff down every delicious mouthful I can hold. The orange stuff is delicious, and apparently it is called "orange juice". I felt like I couldn't eat anymore, so I look at my companions.

Castiel is still eating, tearing off pieces of his bread and dipping it into his hot chocolate. He looks adorable doing that actua- _what the hell? _I think, appalled. _No, no, no I'm not gay. _

I try to shake off what I just said, and blurt out, "So you're supposed to give us advice."

"Here's some advice," Bobby begins, "stay alive."

I avoid looking at Castiel, embarrassed by my own thoughts, but I feel that he is looking at me.

"What are your skills?" Bobby asks.

"Dean can shoot with guns, and can throw knives." Castiel says.

"How the hell do you know that?" I exclaim.

"You are not the only one in the forest." Castiel replies.

I am surprised by the fact he has been in the woods, and even more so by the fact he has seen me hunt.

"What about you, Castiel?" Bobby asks.

Castiel just shrugs.

"Ok, Dean. Why don't ya show me what you can do." Bobby instructs me as he hands me a knife.

I wipe the sweat off the palms of my hands on my pants, and grab the knife. I get a nice firm grasp, and throw it into a wall across the room. I'm hoping for a good solid stick, but it lodges between two panels; making me look much better than I am.

"Alright both of you, stand over here."

We do as he says, and he examines us carefully.

"You two aren't too bad off. Both look pretty fit. We have a pair of fighters this year." He glances out the window. "In a few minutes we will be pulling up to the Capitol. There you will meet your stylists. Don't disagree with them."

Suddenly the train goes dark, except for a few of the lights inside the train. I realize we must be going through a tunnel in the mountain to get to the Capitol. A mountain separates the Capitol and the districts. This is a geographical advantage was a major factor during the rebellion. When the rebels were trying to scale the mountain, the Capitol air forces could shoot them down.

The train begins to slow and Castiel and I go to the windows to see what we've only seen on television. There are so many colors. Shiny cars go down paved streets. The people with their colorful hair, and painted faces. They point at us eagerly as they recognize that our train is a tribute train. I step away from the window, sickened by their excitement, and so does Castiel.

_A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed! I think I will be posting a new chapter every Sunday. _


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: _Thank you to everyone who has taken time to read the story, favorite/follow, and review. You guys mean so much to me! I'm so sorry for updating late today, but I had some computer issues._

_Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, places, or quotes. These belong to Eric Kripke and Suzanne Collins._

As soon as I'm off the train, I'm whisked away by my prep team with colorful hair, wild makeup, and tattoos. One lady's skin is entirely pea green even. They pluck and prod my naked body until I lose all dignity. My body has been vigorously scrubbed, my eyebrows are plucked to be perfectly congruent, my fingernails are cut and cleaned, and they waxed me in places I never want to be waxed in again.

It goes on forever, until finally one with aqua hair says, "all right after we apply the lotion you are all done!" They begin lathering me with it. I grimace as it stings at first, but then soothes my raw skin.

They stand back and admire their work. "You know, now that you've been all washed up, you look actually human now!" One of them with orange hair and purple lipstick says. The other two nod in agreement.

"I think it's time to call Gabriel!" The one with orange hair says, and the prep team darts out of the room. They're total idiots. I can't hate them though, for somewhere deep down inside I know that they are sincerely trying to help.

A young man who must be Gabriel walks in. I'm surprised by how normal he looks. He looked like he could have been from one of the districts. He had an oval-shaped face, and a sorta five o'clock shadow, but it's been trimmed in such a way that it's not. He dressed in a pair of jeans, a red shirt, and a nice jacket the color of dried grass.

"Hello Dean," he says, "I'm Gabriel, your stylist. I see you have two male from your District this year. Slightly disappointed there were no females, but oh well."

He walks around me, examining me. "Why don't you put on a robe, kid, and then we can have lunch."

He hands me a robe, and I put it on. I follow him out to a room with plush couches, and a glass table. Gabriel sits down, and presses a button. The top of the table splits and meat wedged between two buns with vegetables and cheese pop up along with a bubbling drink.

I take a bite out of it and it is delicious. The meat was so juicy and the cheese was perfect. The lettuce, tomatoes, and onions were so crisp and fresh. There were red and yellow sauces that added even more flavor; along with three little green items. I finished this sandwich too fast.

"What is this called?" I asked Gabriel, a little more enthusiastically then I should have.

He chuckles, "this is a hamburger. A cheeseburger actually because there is cheese on it. And that drink is called soda by the way."

"Could I have another cheeseburger?" I ask hopefully.

"Sure, why not?" He replies as he presses another button. Then to the table, he says, "could I get another cheeseburger?"

The table opens up again and another delicious cheeseburger comes out. Before I eat the cheeseburger, I try the soda. It was interesting, and I've never had a drink like that before. It tingled my throat, and it was oddly satisfying.

Gabriel and I continued the meal in silence, until he spoke.

"Enjoying the food, huh?" He asks.

"Yeah." I reply.

"We must seem so despicable to you. Our food comes at the press of a button. My job is to dress people like you to die. This is my first year."

"So you got stuck with District 12?" I ask. The least favorable district.

"No, I asked for it. The costumes show the districts, and you are the coal-mining district. We're not doing coal miners. You're going to be coal. Don't worry though, I have a fabulous idea."

XXX

I am dressed in a completely black unitard which exposes only my arms, neck, and face. I have a matching black cape. My hair is gelled up with fancy product, and they put what they call "guyliner" around my eyes. I see Castiel, and he is wearing an identical outfit.

"Alright boys, right before you're exposed to the audience we're going to light you with a fake fire. It's completely synthetic, and you should be completely safe." Gabriel tells us.

I am concerned by the fact he says "should". I'm going to have to trust that he will not kill me before I actually get to the arena.

"We're going to trick the audience into thinking you're on fire. No one will be able to forget you!"

And with that we were whisked away to the bottom level of the remake center. It's pretty much a giant stable. I see other tributes climbing into chariots, and I realize we have decent costumes compared to them even without the fire.

We are loaded in a black chariot with jet black horses. I realize these horses must be well-trained because they don't have to be led by reins.

I glance at a Castiel, but he is looking down at the ground.

"It's okay if you're scared Castiel."

He looks at me and nods. He almost says something, but then the opening theme music is blasted from speakers, and massive doors open and I see lines of crowds screaming. The tributes from District 1 roll forward, followed by District 2. Soon enough it is our turn, and we lurch forward. Castiel grabs my hand, and I instantaneously let go. I look at him and see how unstable he is on his feet, and was only looking for support. The chariot however has nothing to grab. I grab Castiel's hand again, and instantly he looks surer on his feet. He shoots me a grateful look, and I nod. We are lit ablaze, and suddenly all I can hear is "District 12! District 12!"

I glance at one of the televised screens, and I see us. We look amazing. Gabriel sure had a "fabulous idea". I wave to the audience, and after a little, Castiel does too. I wink at one section of the audience, and that causes violent feminine squeals. "Dean! Dean! Dean!" I hear my name being chanted. I have a flicker of hope. I think at least one of these people could sponsor me. With a little extra help I could actually win. Castiel raises are connected hands up, and the audience goes wilder than ever before.

The twelve chariots make a loop in the City Circle. Our horses pull our chariot right up to President Edlund's mansion which is enormous. We put our hands down.

"Please don't let go until we're done moving." Castiel asks.

"Okay." I tell him.

The President, who is a medium-sized man with blond hair, and a blond beard gives a welcome from a balcony above us. Everyone is still paying attention to us. We are still on the screen when the President should be. As we circle around the City circle, the camera shows all the tributes one last time. The camera watches us though, our fire vibrant in the now black sky, until we finally disappear into the Training Center.

As soon as the doors close behind us, our prep team circles us. Everyone is telling us how good we did. Some tributes are laughing at us, and calling us "gay". However what I mostly catch are dirty glances. This confirms that we've literally outshone them all. No one will forget District 12. Not this year.

_A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed!_


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: _Thank you to everyone who has taken time to read the story, favorite/follow, and review. You guys mean so much to me!_

_Happy New Year everyone! One of my goals for 2014 is to finish this story, and as long as I update weekly only on Sunday I'll able to! _

_Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, places, or quotes. These belong to Eric Kripke and Suzanne Collins._

Castiel and I are brought to a building which will be our home until the game begins. Each district has its own level, and ours is twelve. We step into a crystal clear elevator, and Charlie presses twelve. We begin to rise. I stare at the ground floor, and watch everyone shrink to the size of ants.

"You two did great! Wow!" Charlie tells us eagerly. "Gabriel, that was such a wonderful idea!"

Gabriel looks as if he was going to say something, but Charlie keeps on talking.

"Not only were the costumes great, you two conducted yourselves marvelously! The hand holding was a nice touch, but there are some rumors now."

_Great, _I think, _our team probably thinks we're gay now just like some of those tributes. _

"Nonetheless, District 12 was the most memorable. I think you two definitely have some sponsors. I of course cannot seal any sponsors. Only Bobby can do that."

She continues to compliment us until we reach our floor.

She points down a hallway to our left and says, "The second room down will be Castiel's, and the third room down will be yours Dean." She walks down a hallway to the right, her long red hair swishing behind her, and the click of her heels echoing off the walls.

I walk to my room, and when I enter the room, I'm shocked by the size. It's as big as my entire house. The room is similar to the train except much larger, and much more elaborate. There are lots of automatic buttons, and I'm not sure I will be able to use them all.

I decide to take a shower. I step into the part of the room that has been sectioned off into a bathroom. I change out of Gabriel's costume, and I look at a panel outside the shower with hundreds of buttons. I examine the panel, and carefully press water. I step into the shower, and am instantly met with scalding water.

"Shit!" I exclaim, jumping out of the shower. I cautiously walk back up to the panel. On further inspection, I see that the water is as hot as it could go. I cautiously turn the water down to the middle. I test the new temperature out with my fingers, and finding it satisfactory; I get inside.

"Soap" I mutter, "where is the soap?" I look around and find another panel inside the shower. There is an option for soap, shampoo, and conditioner, as well as lotion. I press the soap, and lots of different types of soap and scents appear.

"Just pick one for me," I mutter looking at the many options.

A lemony scent hits my nose, and I realize that along with water a lemon soap is now being dispersed. I look around for a rag, and sigh.

XXX

The Capitol's fancy gadgets take me a while to get used to. I program the closet for an outfit for me, and am relieved when I get a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, socks, and some shoes. I hear Charlie calling out, "dinner!" I quickly change, and go to meet everyone for dinner.

Gabriel and Castiel's stylist are out on a balcony. Our prep team, along with Bobby, Castiel, and Charlie sit at a giant table being served food. I take my seat between Castiel and an empty chair, and I glance at him. He's still in his usual clothes; including the trench coat.

Capitol people begin walking into the dining room serving food, and offering drinks. Eventually everything is settled down, and our entire team has found a place to sit and are eating.

"Gabriel, why aren't they talking?" I ask gesturing to the people serving us.

"They're avoxes. Before you ask avoxes are people who have committed crimes, and had their tongues cut out."

I nod and continue eating.

"Alright," Bobby says. "Tomorrow you will begin trainin' with the other tributes. Do not show off what you are good at. Save that. Dean, we know what you are good at. We also have a back story for you. You volunteered to save your brother. Charlie is working with that. Castiel, we don't know anything about you. So tell us."

The entire table is silent, and everyone is staring at Castiel.

"I- I don't have a back story. Or any abilities."

"Balls!" Bobby exclaims. "Dean, do you know anything about him?"

I don't know anything about Castiel. He was able to pull me out of a rushing river, so he must be strong. "I really don't know too much about Castiel. He's strong, but that's about it."

Bobby looks at Castiel. "Look," he says, "I'm just tryin' to help you."

"The only abilities I have are that I am able to cover great distances in a short amount of time, and can heal people," Castiel

"So you run?" I ask, puzzled by his choice of words.

Castiel looks uncertain before replying, "Yes. Bobby, I truly don't have anything or anyone for that matter at District 12 unlike Dean. I have something that could be worked with, but I would prefer not to tell everyone."

Bobby nods, and takes a drink from a brown bottle.

"Charlie and I will be coaching you separately then." Bobby states. "I will talk more about your training tomorrow morning during breakfast."

"Ok." I reply.

I glance at Castiel, and he nods and goes back to eating. I continue the delicious meal, and when I feel like I couldn't eat another bite, Gabriel asks if anyone wants pie.

"What's pie?" I ask.

"You haven't had pie before?" Gabriel says, and sighs while shaking his head. "Oh, Dean." He flags down at one of the servants, and requests for some apple pie.

After a minute, a round, flaky pastry is set down in front of on the table. Gabriel serves everyone a triangular piece.

I try a small bite of the pie, and it was the most delicious thing I have ever had. It was better than the hamburgers; better than anything the Capitol could offer. I quickly finish the piece.

"Gabriel," I ask, "could I have another piece?"

"Sure, kid," he answers, and serves me a piece. "You like it huh? Just like the hamburgers."

I nod as I shovel more into my mouth.

After I start feeling sick; I have to stop.

"They're playing a recap of the opening ceremonies soon if anyone wants to watch." Charlie declared.

Everyone moved to the couches surrounding a giant television. Bobby rolled himself up into an empty space. Charlie turned the television on, and I saw truly how much we shined. We all praised Gabriel again. The camera caught me winking to the audience. I glanced at Bobby, and saw him nodding in approval.

I see our hand holding wasn't too noticeable until we raised are hands. The flames flickered around us, and I heard the audience screaming. The program ended, and began playing the reapings again.

"You two did great, but why the hand-holding?" Bobby asked.

"I wanted a support," Castiel stated, "Dean was the only one."

"Why did you show it though?"

"I don't know." I reply, "it felt like the thing to do."

Bobby just nodded. Our team began to slowly disperse and Bobby asked Castiel to go with him.

Eventually it was just Charlie and I.

"I think I'm going to get some sleep," I tell Charlie.

"Ok," she says nodding.

I head to my room relieved that I am finally alone. I change out of my clothes, and throw them on the floor. I use the bathroom, and lay on the giant bed. Despite the comfortable sheets, and soft pillows; sleep doesn't come easily to me.


	7. Chapter 7 Part 1

_A/N: Ok guys I am going to be very busy for the month of January, so I'm going to be on a hiatus until the 2__nd__ of February. I am so sorry for doing this, but between All-County band, school, and filling out applications I am not able to write. I'm so sorry for doing this. I am also splitting this chapter into two shorter sections, and I'm very sorry for doing that as well. I am so sorry for all of this._

_Thank you though to everyone who took the time to review, favorite, and/or follow! You guys are so amazing, and thank you so much. For all my fellow Sherlockians: good luck with today's episode._

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, places, or quotes used. These all belong to Eric Kirpke and Susan Collins._

I wake up feeling refreshed. I didn't have any bad dreams, and although I didn't fall asleep easily; it was peaceful. I look out the window and see that the sun is beginning to rise, so it must be around 7:30. I use the bathroom, and get ready to take a shower. I am slowly getting more and more used to the Capitol's technology, and now I'm skilled enough to be able to take a shower in 30 minutes. When I get out of the shower there are fresh clothes laid out for me. I change quickly, and then head to the dining room to get some breakfast.

Bobby didn't specify a time to meet, but I am hungry now. I'll just have to wait for my team to come. The main table has been cleared away, but another long table topped with food has been laid out.

"Can I just serve myself?" I ask an avox standing by the table. He nods.

I grab a plate and pile it with scrambled eggs, sausages, ham, and bacon. I take some oddly colored fruit, and little cakes. There is also some cherry pie, so I take a piece of that as well. As I'm eating our team slowly begins filing in. Castiel arrives soon, and begins piling his plate with food. Finally, Bobby rolls up. There seems to be some tension between Bobby and Castiel, and that means Castiel told Bobby whatever he wanted to tell him. After an avox gets his food, he begins talking.

"Alright boys, at ten o'clock you will be going down with Charlie. You're going to have three days to train. Dean it is highly unlikely that there will be guns, but if there are do not show off your skills. Same with the knives. Castiel don't show off how fast you can run, or your healing abilities. Save those skills for the private sessions with the judges. Would you two like to be coached separately, or together?"

"Separately." I say.

"Alright then." Bobby replies.

I get up and get some more rolls. Bobby has finished talking, and I'm left wondering about Sam. Did Dad hear the news and go home? Or is Sam still all alone? Is Sam dead? That very question makes me sick. No, Benny is taking care of him. Sam is fine.

"What are you thinking about Dean?" Castiel asks, tearing me away from my thoughts.

"The games," I lied.

Castiel nods, and I eat some of my rolls. I get up and go to my room. I spend the rest of my time there before Charlie comes and gets me. Castiel and I get into the elevator, and we head down to the training room. Down where all the other tributes are.

_Again I apologize for the extremely short chapter. Chapter 7 part two (and Chapter 8?) will be published on February 2__nd__. Thank you so much for reading this chapter, and thank you for your understanding!_


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